Twelve Days of Horror
by ByeByeRainBird
Summary: Rue has been suffering continuous night terrors for the past ten years. At 19, it's rare for an adult to still experience them, but suddenly things start to change. The star of her horrors, the Shadow Man she's always called him, starts to plague her outside of her night terrors! Who is this "Nightmare King" and what plan does he want her to help him fulfill? Possible Jack/OC?
1. Fear's Visit

**A/N: -sigh- Yes, I'm back. Rise of the Guardians is my new fandom I've gotten sucked into haha. I don't have a specific pairing in mind YET, nor do I have a specific direction this fic is gonna go... SO I'm counting on YOU GUYS, the readers, to help me with suggestions through reviews and/or PMs. It would be appreciated (: **

**I also post this on Deviant Art under another name, so don't freak out when you discover this on that site. haha No one steals my shit.**

**Speaking of, I didn't steal Rise of the Guardians or any of it's characters blahblahblah... My OC, Ruth Ophelia Quinn (or Rue, as I like to call her) is mine, as well as the adorable Teacup. (:**

**So, here's the start of Twelve Days of Horror (I based the title off of that one Christmas song everyone knows :P corny I know)**

**ENJOY AND **REVIEW**!**

**~Kay(: **

12 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS:

"Teacup, here boy!"

A small ball of black fur races down the stairs, snorting like a piggy with every leap. It halts when it reaches a tall figure with feminine legs that wear skinny jeans. These belong to a girl of nineteen with a childish smile and kind forest green eyes. A navy blue fleece blanket drapes around her shoulders and her long light auburn hair falls past her shoulders to the middle of her back. The furball named Teacup wags his tail impatiently as he looks up at his master with big blue bug eyes full of anticipation.

His master smiles warmly, "Ready to go outside, huh?" She reaches down and cradles the small dog in her arms, humming a tune as she walks toward the sliding back door, nearly hidden by a wide Christmas tree that twinkles with colourful lights. Teacup's master opens the glass sliding door and the pair is greeted with the harsh cold that nips their noses and Teacup's whiskers. He flattens his bat-like ears in distaste as his master sets him down on the freezing patio, and shivers his black coat miserably.

The girl smiles in sympathy, "Sorry, boy," she pats his head comfortingly and sits down on a brown patio bench that's placed next to the glass door. "You know you gotta use the grass before we go to bed." She tightens her warm blanket around herself, craving the warmth as she waits for the Chihuahua to "use the grass" as she codes the term for doing the "business." Teacup walks around the perimeter of the stone patio before hesitantly stepping into the frosted grass that's lightly powdered with snow. He hears his master encourage him to hurry before catching cold and moves on with sniffing around the winter wonderland that is the family backyard.

The ginger haired girl in the blanket, shivering lightly on the bench, looks up to watch the night sky painted with bright Christmas lights of its own: stars. She lets out a small sigh, and her breath is released into the atmosphere, making her giggle at the sight. There's something about the night during winter that relaxes her, freezing life around her for just a moment to enjoy peaceful and cold silence. Not even the snowflakes that gracefully fall from the sky disturbs the winter quiet made just for her. She feels like the only girl in the world, abandoned to enjoy winter's promises of white isolation.

But a noise disrupts her quiet. Not a twig snapping, or Teacup barking… but a voice, whispery and sharp, like a nip of icy wind, which catches the daydreaming girl's attention immediately.

"Ruth…"

It's as if the air whispered to her. Ruth, startled, stands and looks around the snow covered yard with wide and alert eyes, wind blasting in her face and messing with her hair. She hears Teacup growling menacingly and turns to see him standing at the very edge of the patio, growling and baring his canines threateningly. She calls to him through the wind's howls ("Tea!"), but he doesn't dare move or look away from his target. Ruth cautiously moves to stand behind him, to see what the small dog finds so intimidating, and squints to look through the inky blackness. Towards the back of the yard are frosted evergreen trees, surrounding the perimeter of the property's fenced yard. Their tall thick bodies move and sway with the wind's harsh blows, as if all of the wind's force was making its way through the wooded area. Looking closer, Ruth gasps with a start when she notices a darker figure walk amongst the dancing evergreens and two very familiar golden eyes.

Before she can even _think_ to pick up Charlie and run, the voice speaks again:

"There's no more denying, my dear… I'm not just a nightmare anymore."

In a flash the figure is there, looming over her with melted golden eyes and a dark, inky shadowy aura. Ruth can't breathe, the colour drains from her face, and even Teacup has silenced his furious snarling, now cowering and whimpering underneath the bench. Fear clouds Ruth's mind, takes over everything within her. So many questions, so many _whys_ and _hows_ fill her head… She _must _be dreaming now! He _can't _be here in her world!

The shadow man laughs darkly, enjoying her foolish humanity. "Oh, my dear, but I _am_," he grins, showing an unpleasant sight of his teeth. "It's no use to resist believing anymore, little Rue. This is _my_ world now, and _you _are just the ticket I need to get the power I want."

"Please, no!-" Ruth tries to find her voice, but it cracks with fear. Her throat is so dry and tight, it's hard to swallow without feeling burning sensations. Rue's ears ache, and she can't hear her surroundings clearly as sound becomes distorted and hazy, a piercing ringing sound deafening her. She brings a hand up to her forehead tiredly, her mind pounding violently with urgency, as if it's about to explode. Ruth tries hard to stay alert and on guard, but her vision slowly blurs into a fog and she becomes too weary and weak to keep focus on the danger that surrounds her. If she could just lie down only for a few minutes…

Blackness swallows her into sleep, and Ruth Ophelia Quinn falls to the ground, a golden rose surrounded by sandy wisps appearing above her head. Sand streams, the same colour of the rose, whirl above in the starry night sky, sensing the threat of the dark man. An airplane made entirely of sand zooms amongst the sandy trails leading to different parts of the city, and follows the stream connecting nearby Ruth. Help has come to protect the human girl against the dangers of the shadow man, Pitch Black. With frustration, the Nightmare King disfigures himself into black sand and retreats back into the dark forest, beyond the house property. He'll return for her, when he's stronger to face the appearance of his enemies, those blasted Guardians.

In the meantime, Ruth and Teacup are safely transported by the Sandman's golden wisps to Ruth's bedroom; safe and sound from harm of the Boogeyman… for now.

**A/N: Thoughts? Suggestions? Comments? COME AT ME WITH A REVIEW!**

**Cheers,  
Kay(:**


	2. The First Night Terror

**A/N: Thanks so much to all of you who have favourited, alerted, and the one reader who reviewed this! It truly is impacting to a poor old writer's soul. This chapter isn't very long, but it does give some important background to Rue's situation with Pitch. This takes place when Pitch first discovers her. I wish I wrote more, but it's nearly 1 AM over her and I need rest for work tomorrow heh. :P**

**Enjoy,  
Kay(:**

Ch. 2

TEN YEARS PREVIOUSLY

She sleeps soundly, golden Dreamsand depicting a child's fantasy. Singing flowers, a lovely meadow, happiness filling the air; all a small youth's heart's desires living out in the realm of sleep. The sleeping little one, a nine year old girl with a freckled pale face and bright ginger curls, goes on with her dreaming undisturbed, a soft smile on her rose coloured lips. Though nearing ten, the girl is small for her age, shortest in her fourth grade class. She barely fills the space her twin bed provides, just a small lump under the covers in the middle of the bed. Yet she sleeps peacefully, cuddling her black puppy stuffy as the adventure in her mind goes on…

That is, until something sinister enters the scene. Hiding under the girl's bed, a shadow waits to make his appearance, his shining amber eyes showing through the darkness beneath the bedframe. Malicious intent is clearly seen in those eyes, fearful and horrible things are present in that ghastly glare. A moment passes, then shadows leak from beneath the bed. Fearlings, skeletal horses called Nightmares, and black sand similar to the girl's Dreamsand fills the room and consumes the serene atmosphere. The black sand forms into a humanoid figure, with those amber eyes gleaming darkly upon the sleeping young girl. The figure looms over her, tall and slim with grisly grey skin and a nasty toothy smile. His face is gaunt, frightening and most intimidating with a hawk-like nose and thin dark lips that usually take the shape of a deadly smirk. Dark hair, slicked back and spiked, gives the figure a threatening appearance. His shadowy aura, formed by his Fearlings, surrounds him as he stands next to the sleeping girl. He watches her, that deadly smirk playing at his thin lips, and he observes the golden Dreamscape floating above her, depicted by the Dreamsand.

The Dark One soon gets bored of the cute little show with the flowers and the smiles and the singing and all that childish muck. Now was the time for the _real_ fun to begin, and the Dark One let his mind go loose with frightful horrors no child could stand…

Night Terrors.

Yes, that would suit this child perfectly, the Dark One grins devilishly. Delicious screams, pure agony, restless tossing and thrashing about, and the pure chaos that goes along with every dose of Night Terror are his favourite forms of torture. This girl will be helpless; falling into the position of having no choice but to believe that the Dark One exists. Her heart will be easy to break, so easy to shatter. Look at how small she is! He marvels at his future success, basks in the glory he shall finally take for himself. An easy win, such triumph the Dark One shall finally possess!

"Poor little Rue," he smiles darkly, a long finger eagerly reaching out to the Dreamsand. "You won't stand a chance, will you, my dear?" He laughs quietly, a horrible sound to a child's ears. "Let the show begin," his toothy grin widens as the long finger lightly touches a singing flower in the Dreamscape. The gold Dreamsand deforms it's colour to blackness, shadows and nightmares taking over the girl, Rue's, dreaming.

The Dark One, the King of Nightmares, observes his craft with sick pride. Still, he feels as if something is missing. Why isn't the human girl screaming, or thrashing around her bed covers by now? The Nightmare King starts to frown as he mentally goes over his formula for Night Terrors, until his eyes suddenly flash. "How could I have forgotten the most _important_ detail?" He laughs at his absent-mindedness while deforming into the black sand. His voice carries on before those flashing amber eyes disappear, "A little pinch of Pitch… dark… Black…"

In minutes, the screams arise.

**A/N: See? Short. Nevertheless, PLEASE leave a review! **

**Kay(:**


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